Clamping devices



I April 10, 1956 E. F. AYER 2,741,077

CLAMPING DEVICES Filed Jan. 14, 1955 .ZZVIGMWR) 910 FAME-7g United States Patent CLAMPING DEVICES Ermon F. Ayer, North Haven, onn., assignar to General Hardware Mfg. Co., Inc, New York, N. 1., a corporation of New York Application January 14, 1955, Serial No. 481,862

3 Claims. (Cl. 51-221) The present invention relates to clamping means adaptable for instance, for holding a chisel or plane blade in jig devices used in sharpening operations.

I have chosen to illustrate this invention by equipping a commonly used jig device with my novel and improved clamping means, thus replacing two thumb screws which were formerly used as the blade-clamping means. The use of such thumb screws was troublesome, because on tightening the second of them, the blade would shift a bit from proper position, thus necessitating many times, a few adjustments of the blade on its seating surface, before it was held in proper position for honing or sharpening.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a blade-clamping means of novel and improved construction, which avoids the above objection because it afiords secure grip of the blade along spaced regions and requires but a single element to be manipulated to eifect gripping action or release.

Another object hereof is to provide a novel and improved clamping means useful in jig and fixture design generally, which is simple in construction, reasonably cheap in cost, easy to use and eflicient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a jig for holding a chisel or plane blade in position for sharpening or honing; this jig being equipped with a clamping means embodying the teachings of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a channel or saddle-shape spring member used in this clamping means.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged section taken at lines 3-3 in Fig. 1, showing a blade held in place.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, except that the blade and the clamping means are omitted.

In the drawings, the numeral designates generally a "g used to transport a chisel or a plane blade 16 so that its bevelled edge 16' is sharpened by being frictionally slid on a fiat stone 17. This jig 15 comprises a bent arm 18 positioned so that part 18 thereof is tilted and presents an upper flat surface 18 against which the blade 16 is clamped by a novel and improved means herein designated generally by the numeral 19. The slope of said blade rest part 18 is adjustable by manipulation of the screw 20 which is then secured by a set screw 21. The roller 22 at the lower end of screw 20, is set on the surface on which the sharpening stone 17 rests. The manner of setting the blade 16 and the manipulation of the jig 15 as a carrier is well known and therefore needs no further explanation. Since this invention is primarily concerned with the clamping means 19 employed to securely hold the blade 16 on its resting surface 18", a detailed description thereof follows,

2,741,077 Patented Apr. 10, 1956 'ice The arm 18 carries a bar 23 above the surface 18", a sufiicient distance to be spaced from the blade 16. Such bar may be part of a bridge piece as shown. A saddle or channel 24 of resilient blade spring steel sheeting is positioned to straddle said bar 23; the dimensions of such channel spring being such that when its longitudinal edges 24, 24 contact the blade 16, the bottom of said channel is spaced from said bar. Said bar and channel spring are preferably in a direction across the blade. A screw 25 having a knob head 26, is positioned through a hole 27 in the channel spring and threadedly engaged in a threaded bore 28 through the bar 23. A compression coil spring 29 is positioned about said screw 25, between said channel and bar. The said screw 25 is short enough not to touch the blade 16.

The edges 24, 24 being coplanar, it is evident that the blade 16 will be securely held against surface 18 upon tightening of the screw 25, because the initially divergent arms 30, 31 of the channel spring 24, will be caused to diverge further and be stressed. Upon loosening of said screw 25, the blade 16 will be released and the channel spring 24 will be lifted by action of the compressed spring 29, from off said blade, whereupon spring arms 30, 31 will assume their original divergence.

In order to permit but slight swivel movement, if any, to the channel spring 24, the position of hole 27 is made such that an arm of said spring is in contact with the bar 23, as is here done by the spring arm 31.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiment shown herein be deemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a clamping device of the character described, a member presenting a surface on which the article to be held is adapted to rest, a bar carried on said member in a position opposite and spaced from said surface whereby when an article to be held is set on said surface,said article will be between said surface and said bar, a

channel-shaped spring of sheet material having some resilient quality, straddling said bar; the arms of said spring being in divergent relation extending towards said surface; said spring having a hole therethrough intermediate its arms, a screw engaged in the bar and positioned through said hole, a head carried on said screw and bearing on said spring so that said head can push said spring towards the mentioned surface upon movement of said head in relation to the bar and a stressed spring positioned between said bar and the channel-shaped spring, acting to shift such channel-shaped spring away from said surface.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the screw is threadedly engaged through the bar in a threaded bore through said bar and the head is secured on said screw.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stressed spring is a compression coil spring positioned about the screw between said bar and the channel-shaped spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 338,322 Waters Mar. 23, 1886 709,648 Rossler Sept. 23, 1902 1,026,623 Caswell May 14,1912 1,583,013 Sawtelle May 4, 1926 

